Seeking a Global Maximum

It seems that everyone has an innate desire to be a good person and to treat others as they would like to be treated. Yet, looking at the world, genuinely good people often appear few and far between, and it’s easy to grow cynical. When we do, we risk not reaching our full potential, which ultimately affects society as a whole.

In computer science and machine learning, when making a decision, multiple factors—coefficients—require different weights to rank their importance. In life, we may want to be good people, but we face competing priorities: to be the best, most attractive, richest, most popular, most successful, smartest—and the list goes on. Is it any wonder that being a good person rarely tops our professional priorities?

Last week, the U.S. went through a divisive election with global implications. The outcome depended on fewer than a million people in only seven states. Billions of dollars were spent by opposing parties to convince those people to choose A or B on their ballots. Yet, for all the talk, there was little discussion about fostering good people—just pick A instead of B.

In mathematics, solving a system of nonlinear equations involves adjusting coefficients to find a system’s maximum value. This is an iterative, trial-and-error process. Sometimes, you get stuck at a "local maximum," where no small change improve the outcome, even though a "global maximum" exists if you’re willing to make more significant shifts. This concept applies to product management—and to much more.

For people in Gaza, Lebanon, Israel, Iran, Ukraine, Russia, Nigeria, and the Koreas, being stuck in a local maximum meant choosing A or B didn't really change their reality.

What do I mean by prioritizing being a good person? I took the photo for this article 15 years ago on a two-week study tour organized by a group called Hizmet, whose founder recently passed away. As a Mennonite, I’ve been raised in a community that values being a good person and helping others. We don’t always get it right, but we are encouraged to try, much like an Anglican pastor in BC describes. When I went on that trip, I believed I was already prioritizing being a good person. However, I returned realizing I had room to grow in every aspect of my life.

The photo was taken at a small historic mosque in Bursa. Two gentlemen in white were sharing the rich history of the mosque and their faith tradition with us, and the explanation was then translated. Three young Turkish men listened in the background, hearing something about their history and how people once treated each other that they weren’t hearing elsewhere. Afterward, they approached the men to ask questions. One young man was listening so intently that he knelt down, folding his hands in rapt attention.

On that trip, I discovered the power of good people working together to help others prioritize goodness. What is a good person? Someone who considers not only their own needs but also those of the people around them. Adam Grant would describe them as givers, not takers.

To illustrate, let me use an example from my day job, where solar panels stand in for people. The chart below shows the power output from an inverter's two subcomponents over seven days in late September. You’ll notice that the blue line for one reaches only about 30% of the black line from the second at times. Why is that?

After some detective work, we found the project site is near high-voltage lines, which cast slight shadows on some panels below them in the morning on sunny days. Each subcomponent has three strings of panels, linked like Christmas lights, and their outputs are combined. The inverter tries to maximize the power output from all panels by adjusting voltage to find the optimal balance, since Power = Voltage × Current. Shading creates an imbalance in current between panels because they’re no longer equal. The inverter can raise or lower only the combined voltage for all strings. In this case, it kept raising the voltage, causing all three strings to struggle. Once in that zone, the inverter stayed there for the rest of the day. Only nightfall—or, sometimes, passing clouds—allows it to reset and find a new voltage where all strings contribute effectively.

Aren’t humans a lot like those strings? We each focus on what we think works best for us, and sometimes everyone suffers for it.

Last Friday, I spoke with two people who were transitioning in their professional lives. Both had prioritized being good people, though this wasn’t always rewarded. I shared how much I valued them for who they are and how they had helped me in my own journey.

To prioritize being a good person, we need feedback that this quality is valued. In my experience, people who prioritize being good also tend to feel more content and satisfied with their lives. Good people attract others like themselves, creating positive feedback loops. When they face difficulties, they aren’t alone—the network of goodness they’ve cultivated supports them.

The world needs more good people, especially when we're stuck and picking either A or B won’t solve the problem. We need people willing to move beyond the local maximum, seeking a global maximum for everyone.